Here's something people don't know about me... I do some of my best work after dark, probably when most of you are sleeping. That may have something to do with the kiddo being in bed or perhaps not. I just feel as the day winds down I find myself becoming more focused and calm.

It's as if whatever the day entailed, good, bad or indifferent, it's done now. There's nothing more I can do except gather my thoughts and work from the feedback received. I believe this is why I enjoy doing my daily vision and gratitude work at night.

Yes, almost without fail, I set aside about 20-30 minutes to do this work. I center myself, grab my gratitude journal, and settle in to the process of gathering my tribe in mind. I hold a space for the highest vision of my beloveds, my partners, my clients and myself.

​Every year the circle of souls I entertain grows and still there is room for plenty more. Once I have sent out my thoughts & blessings it's time to do the greatest work of all - WRITE OUT MY DAILY GRATITUDE LIST. I can tell when I've done it "right" that's when my head hits the down pillow and I release a deep and satisfying sigh. The day is done & it is good!

A brief reflection on returning to work from my recent work/play trip to San Francisco. I think you'll be surprised to hear what I say about coming back to work. If you ever feel like getting back to the swing of things after a vacation is a pain then this video is for you!

​It was another day at the “real job” I’d taken to help my husband get his business off the ground. It was for “a little while” and then I would return to building my coaching practice.

I had gone to school, certified and started coaching by the time I was 24 years old. Yet I was still holding on to the “real job” crutch.

To the outside world, I was a vision of success: balancing full-time work with weekends at retreats and after-hours appointments. Regardless of the job or how much it paid, I couldn’t shake my need to be a coach. It was clear that life coaching was where I was meant to be: helping people find happiness and success in their lives. I was sharing my gifts and helping other people live the lives of their dreams, while my own dream was smoldering on the back burner.

I thought I could handle the crazy schedule, the dismal pay, tyrannical management, and lack of connection to my true self. It was just for “a little while”, right? But the Universe works best with concrete time frames so my “little while” meant nothing: days turned to weeks turned to months. And I remained stuck. I was surrounded by miserable people, at a job I could do but that I didn’t want to do, and everywhere I looked there was nothing but dis-ease.

Often times, I would be the one telling my clients to beware of the small voices that whisper for you to make a change – if you don’t listen, the Universe will have no choice but to hit you with a 2x4 moment – and here I was heading for one of the biggest 2x4 moments of my life and I had no clue:

My husband’s business was growing, but not quite where we thought it should be. He could do better and we could be in a better position. I longed to be free to work with people full time, to teach and share my program with anyone who needed it. I just couldn’t see how. I had succumbed to the negative energy of my “real” job and become closed off to my options. My future looked hopeless.

Then it happened. Stuck in rush-hour traffic, trying to cross the border between Oregon and Washington, I felt a horrific pinch in my left arm. The pain grew and radiated up my arm and across my chest. I started sweating – even though the air conditioning was on – and my vision was getting blurry... “Shit!” I think I’m having a heart attack.Next thing I know, I’m pacing in front of my manager’s office. Waiting and pacing. He waved me in and I said, almost apologetically, “I think I’m having a heart attack.” I was 39 years old.

He was shocked and confused, asking what he could do. I blurted: “I just want to go home.”

“Yes, go!” He said.

On my way home, I called my husband and explained what happened. Once he calmed down, he said he’d meet me at home. I refused a trip to the hospital and settled for a trip to Urgent Care instead.

The machines at the clinic showed that my heart was fine (thank God!), though my blood pressure was up and I was clearly having spasms in my left arm. Yay, I wasn’t dying… it just felt like it. After several more tests and a consultation, it was determined that I was suffering from a pinched nerve and stress.

Yes, the heart attack that saved my life wasn’t a heart attack at all. It was the perfect combination of fatigue, stress, and muscle strain. You see, I’d always been well endowed. The discomfort and physical strain were constants from early puberty. So when the doctor suggested that breast reduction surgery could alleviate my suffering, I jumped at the opportunity.

As I spent the new few weeks recovering and admiring my post-surgery body, a thought began to gnaw at me. What if this was my latest 2x4 moment? What if it wasn’t just a pinched nerve? For the most part, I was on the couch all day: reading, watching TV, and trying to ignore the questions I wasn’t ready to answer.

Ultimately, the nagging question was all I could hear. I had a sinking feeling that I was coming to a crossroad. One that would require a big decision – go back to the daily grind or step out and follow my own dreams for a change. There was really only one choice. It was time to take the leap and let go of my safety net.

As if on cue, the Universe rose up to meet me. When I returned from medical leave, the position I’d held was gone and the new position was a dead end. My husband’s business was flourishing like never before and we were swamped with business. In fact, a girlfriend of one of his clients became my first full-time coaching client.

Some say that when it comes to making decisions, you have to trust your gut; it was clear that I needed to follow my heart. The beautiful part is that my health improved instantly. I was sleeping well (killing your alarm clock will do that), eating better, and more active than I’d ever been. If it weren’t for the apparent heart attack, I might have actually run my body, mind, and spirit right into the ground.​Today, I trust my gut and remain open to possibilities. I know how quickly life can change and I’m grateful each day that I have the chance to help other people recover from and even avoid their own 2x4 moments. Which is why I run my coaching practice from the heart.

Are you a secret agent or a carnival barker? Do you ever get the feeling that you show up at social engagements, professional meetings, or networking events and you are so dialed in to the script running in your own head you hardly remember or notice what anyone else is saying? Or you’re so afraid your opinion, idea or service will be rejected that you become a smiling, nodding, mute? I’ve been there.

When I first started in sales I would go to networking event to sell my product, to share my pitch, to spew my latest offer to anyone who would glance my way… and I hated it. It rarely worked, stressed me out beyond belief and never seemed to lead to lasting connections. Then I found a way to do it all differently. Something that changed how I interacted with people for good. Would you like to know what it was? I mean, wouldn’t it be nice if you could just show up to any social or business function and just enjoy the moment? What if I guaranteed you deeper and longer lasting connections without having a script at all? [READ MORE]

It was another day at the "real" job I had taken to help my husband get his business off the ground. The one that was only supposed to be temporary. I had promised myself that I could do anything for a little while. After all, we were both convinced that that was all it would take to get his business going strong so that I could return to my passion and build my coaching practice. You see, I started coaching & hypnotherapy when I was just 24 years old. I had gone to school to learn about hypnotherapy and got certified as a hypnotherapist. I had taken several life transforming courses that were the basis for my own life coaching program and yet I still hadn't let go of the "real" job crutch. At first it was just until my business was making enough to surpass my regular income, then I got promoted and was making even more money at my "real" job. Now the gap was widening and as I stretched myself thin trying to keep one foot in the door of my dream and the other in the corporate arena I began to tear myself apart. On the outside I was a vision of success, balancing full time work with long blissful weekends at Women's retreats, after hours appointments with clients in my home and shared office space. No matter what job I had or how much it paid I couldn't shake the need to be a coach. To share my gifts and help other people live the lives of their dreams. All the while my own dream was smoldering on the back burner. After a few fateful moves, a terrorist attack, and a downturn in the economy, I remained stretched between two worlds.

Often times, I would be the one telling my clients to beware of the small voices that whisper for you to make a change for inevitably if you don't listen the Universe will have no choice but to hit you with a 2x4 event. That's when something so drastic happens it literally smacks you up side of your head like a 2x4 and you have no choice but to take a break and pay attention. How did I know about these moments? Well, sadly, I had already had a few in my lifetime and I did everything I could to avoid having them again. At least, that is what I thought. In reality I was heading for one of the biggest 2x4 moments of my life and I literally had no clue. I thought that I could handle the crazy schedule, dismal pay, tyranical management, and lack of any connection to my true self. I thought, it was just for a little while. Problem is, the Universe works best with concrete time frames, so my "little while" meant nothing and day, after day, week after week, and finally month after month I remained stuck.

And then it happened. I was surrounded by miserable people, at a job I could do but that I didn't want to do anymore, every where I looked there was nothing but dis-ease. Still, while my husbands business was growing, it wasn't quite where I thought it should be. He could do better, we could be in a better position, so I started connecting with more people trying to do more of my work outside the office. As I did it became clear that life coaching was what I was meant to do. Being a part of helping someone find happiness and success in their live inspired me. I longed to be free to work with people full time. To teach and speak and share my program with anyone who needed it. I just couldn't see how. I had become closed off to my options and starting succumbing to the negative energy of my "real" job. For the first time, in a very long time, my future looked hopeless.

Then it happened. Stuck in rush hour traffic, trying to traverse the border between Oregon and Washington, to appease my micro-managing boss, I felt a horrific pinch in my left arm. As I continued to drive in bumper to bumper traffic for twenty, thirty, almost 45 minutes the pain grew and radiated down my arm and across my chest. I began to perspire heavily even thought he airconditioning was on in the car. I began to have trouble with my vision as if everything was getting blurry and out of focus on the periphery. All the while, I tried to ignore it, shake it off. Maybe the flu, just a bad day, too much stress.... a panic attack. I remember, like it was yesterday, hearing myself say the word attack snapped me to full attention. Shit! (I'm pretty sure I said that aloud) I think I'm having a heart attack.

It took a few more minutes still to get off the freeway, cut through town, and reach the parking lot of my business. I don't remember any of it. Though I'm sure I managed as the next thing I remember I was pacing in front of my managers glass office with what I can only imagine was a very strange look on my face. There was someone in his office so I waited... and I paced... when I suddenly caught his eye and his attention. He waived me in and I said meekly, almost apologetically, I think I'm having a heart attack. I was 39 years old.

He was, understandably shocked and a bit confused, he stammered and asked what he could do, what I needed, and I just blurted out... I just want to go home. And amazingly enough he said, yes, go! So, I drove myself home a feat made much easier by the fact that the rush hour traffic was gone and my return trip only 15 minutes. Now, I had called my husband on the way and explained what happened in brief and after screaming at me and my manager for letting me drive home he said he'd meet me downstairs in front of our mid-rise apartment - thank god. He took me to urgent care (I had refused the hospital) as I was feeling somewhat better. When we arrived they hooked me up to the machines and learned that my heart was fine, though my blood pressure was up and I clearly had some sort of spasm happening in my arm. Yay, I wasn't dying... it just felt like it. After several more test and a consultation it was determined that I was suffering from a pinched nerve and stress.

Yes, the heart attack that saved my life wasn't a heart attack at all. It was the perfect combination of fatigue, stress, and muscle strain. I did what I always did I found a problem and I solved it. You see, I'd always suffered from being very endowed. The shame, discomfort and physical strain were constants from early puberty. So, when the doctor suggested that having breast reduction surgery could alleviate the problem, I jumped at the opportunity. Still, as I spent the next few weeks recovering and admiring my post surgery body a thought began to gnaw at me. What if it wasn't the pinched nerve. What if that was just my latest 2x4 moment. Now, if you've never recovered from a surgery you may be unaware just how mind numbing it can be. After the initial pain subsides, thanks in part to the Vicodin, you reach a level of general discomfort while still being unable to effectively use your arms for more than brushing your teeth. So, for the most part I sat on the couch, read, watched day-time television, and tried to ignore the voice that kept asking questions I wasn't ready to answer.

In the end, the nagging thought was all I could hear, followed by a sinking feeling that I was coming to a cross-road. One that would require a big decision - to go back to the grind or step out and follow my own dreams for a change. It took about two days for me to realize, for me, there really was only one choice. It was time to take the leap and let go of my supposed safety net job. As if, on cue, the Universe rose up to meet me. The position I held was gone when I returned from my medical leave and the new position they had for me was a total dead end. Then my husbands business began to flourish, like never before, and we were swamped with business. In fact, the girlfriend of one of his client's became my first full-time coaching clients.

Some say, when it comes to making decisions you have to trust your gut, in this case it was clear I needed to follow my heart. The beautiful part is my health improved instantly. I was sleeping well (killing your alarm clock will do that), eating better, and more active then I had ever been. If it weren't for that apparent heart attack I might have actually run my body, mind and spirit right into the ground.

Today, I trust my gut and remain open to possibilities. I know how quickly life can change and I'm grateful every day that I have the chance to help other people recover from and even avoid their own 2x4 moments. Which is why I run my coaching practice from the heart.

When was the last time you did something that truly scared you? Took a risk that left you feeling like you couldn't quite catch your breath? As the old adage goes, if we keep doing the same thing we will keep getting the same results. Success requires daring. We must be willing to reach out further than before. To go out in the world and look for the opportunities we need not simply sit back and wait for opportunity to knock.

First, we must know what it is we are looking to achieve and then we must commit to doing whatever we can to get results. From taking a hard look at our own behavior, our circle of friends, even our financial stewardship and being brave enough to acknowledge the errors and pitfalls that may be holding us back.

Next, once we know where the potential for sabotage lies we must do everything in our power to enact changes that will help us overcome or circumvent such sabotage. Whether that's seeking professional help from a financial adviser, Life Coach, or making new personal/professional connections, the responsibility is ours. Complaining and comparing our lives and lack of success to others apparent meteoric rise to success is a pointless waste of time and energy. Even the smallest of steps can start our lives on a completely new trajectory.

Finally, once a decision has been made and the course is set we must be brave enough to withstand the barbs & arrows of naysayers. No one will have your same vision, just as no one has your same life, so while it can be helpful to seek feedback and support from your trusted friends or business acquaintances only YOU can make the final decision about the actions you'll take to make your dreams come true. One of the bravest things we can do is to "keep our head [focused on our goals] while all around others are losing theirs".

Whatever your goal or dream of success looks like get up every day, turn your face toward the sun, put one foot in front of the other and bravely strike out toward your finish line.

Someone recently said that I didn't realize how many other women would die to be in my shoes. He said they would love to be able to set my own hours, do work that I love and still be able to spend as much time as they wanted with their own child. I couldn't help but smile at the sentiment and I will certainly be the first to admit I am absolutely filled with gratitude every time I hold my beautiful little boy. Still, when I think back to that conversation I have to shake my head in disagreement, it is not luck that's brought me here, well at least not luck alone.

So much of what lays before me now has long been in the planning stages. I have always been a firm believer in following your dreams, not blindly and without effort but fearlessly and fiercely. Like a mother bear protecting her young I knew I had to guard each heartfelt desire against any enemy. The foes of my dreams included the chiding and hand-wringing worries of so-called well-wishers bent on helping me avoid their own imagined pitfalls, the jealous friends and co-workers who wanted to keep me blind-folded and locked in step with their corporate crowd, all the while I had my own inner gremlins to fend against, little whispering beasts of self-doubt, pity and regret.

Now, standing at one of the many high points of my life, I look back and realize my successful achievements have not only been a labor of love, determination but also a consistent focus to always reach for what I wanted. Every day I get up and choose to leap fearlessly into the arms of lady luck whenever she crosses my path. With every leap I become more convinced that I truly can have, do and be anything I want.

This, my life, is a body of proof for the work I do now as a Life Coach. It has brought me the lessons of compassion, empathy and self-actualized wisdom that help me meet my clients wherever they are while always helping to guide them forward. I know, for a fact, that with the right plan, the right attitude and yes, even with a little bit of luck, anyone can be or do whatever they want.

So, what kind of life would make you feel like the luckiest person on earth? And what are you doing to make it happen? Join me February 7th for a 7 Day Gratitude & Accountability challenge. Show up each day - FIND THIS PICTURE and post 7 things you are grateful for that day. NOTE - No duplicates allowed for 7 days! That's right, you'll need to come up with 7 new things each day. The person(s) who make succeed for ALL 7 days will receive a signed copy of my book - The POWER Plan - Mastering Your Life with the Law of Atttraction in Six Simple Steps! Starts 2/7/16 and ends 2/14/16 - must get each days entry in by midnight~https://www.facebook.com/CoachLiaDunlap/

One of the challenges of being a seeker in life is that we often find ourselves searching the world we see outside. We look to other people, places and even times to find meaning or purpose in our own lives. When the truth is the only purpose we can fully engage is the one that burns within us. Whatever we see outside, for good or ill, it is only a reflection of the real person, place or event. We simply can't know the full depth of anything that is not of our own making or experience.

In NLP (Neural Linguistic Programming) we abide by the premise that "The Map is NOT the Territory". In other words, I can show you a map of Texas, I can even include as much detail as will fit on the page but the true experience of living and being a part of that place can only be realized through experience and even then because said experience is subjective it will be different for each individual. For some the experience of Texas is a broad open space of desolate land and endless oil rigs. For others it's the heartland of Americana and all things country. It could even be seen as a black mark on society for those who's experience and memories evoke images of slavery, the Klan, the Alamo.

None of this is transmitted to the viewer when he/she looks at a map of Texas. So, it is for our lives and the world we see outside ourselves, even being in the space we can only catch a glimpse at what we call reality. The rest is a co-creative masterpiece beyond our individual scope. The beautiful thing is that science has proven that as creators we have the POWER to shift and shape that reality. We do that by holding visions and creating beliefs about what we want to see in our world. Take a look at the following video excerpt, The POWER of Belief, from The POWER Plan program. Remember, the best way to FIND your way is to create it!

One day, while cruising the internet there it was, a solar highway, and I thought why didn't I think of that? Oh wait, I DID think of that darn it! Years ago, when I was sitting in traffic cursing all the congestion and pollution. As I read the article I had one of those head banging moments. You know those moments when we are reminded, yet again, of the deep well of Universal knowledge we are all connected to. Something I often remind my POWER Plan clients of; you are a part of the Universe and everything that ever is or will be comes from a Universal source of knowledge and power. We only need to tap into it. To reach deep down within ourselves and follow that inspired thought that bubbles up to meet us. The beautiful thing is, this moment also proved something else... If you don't grab that inspiration and run with it someone else will. You see the Universal source doesn't care WHO brings the bright idea to light it will simply keep bringing it to the surface until someone does. Why NOT you? Why not NOW? Better to go for the brass ring and miss than to watch someone else fly by with it in their firm grasp. Still, it's never too late to follow your inner inspiration. As I said, it's always happening, every hour of every day great ideas are being recognized and acted upon. Some, like shooting stars, flash brilliant and then burn out. Yet, even those ideas have the capacity to bring joy, ingenuity, or the next big thing to life. The pool of the source is as infinite as the Universe is dense. Imagine every grain of sand on a beach holding the potential for some magnificent new thing to be brought to light. It could be the idea that cures a disease, simplifies a life, or even catapults an entire society into a brand new era of evolution. The ideas are out there, like waves of thought on an endless sea, they rush up to meet us and then flow back out again. Waiting for those brave enough to surf them until they run out of steam.

Ask yourself, when was the last time you saw one of your own flashes of brilliance burning in someone else's great idea? How did it feel? What did you do about it? Maybe it is time to turn within again. To listen to that nagging thought, to scratch that subconscious itch, to throw your entire being into running with a burning passion that drives you from within. Do you have the guts? Are you ready? Do you finally believe enough to send doubts packing? Isn't it time YOU let your light shine?

In fact I rarely wear makeup. It's not that I don't like makeup, or that I think less of those who wear it every day. It's just that after years of self-abuse and body shaming I have finally reached a level of comfort with my own skin. A level of comfort created in part by my own work with the Weightless Weight Loss program.

During the process of creating the program I did what any self-respecting scientist would do, I tested the program on myself. Seriously, I AM the very first person to use the program to lose weight, increase my confidence and release negative body/self talk by listening to 5 fabulous self-hypnosis audios.

When I created the program I knew I wanted it to be ridiculously simple. I also knew I didn't want it to be focused on pounds lost but rather the tools and behaviors related to self-care and body acceptance. The release of food as comfort, companionship, reward and the embrace of food as maintenance. A vital part of living just as normal and necessary as sleep. Soon the pounds slipped away. My clothes and body shrunk and my confidence and self-acceptance grew. I was able to see my self, even naked, and think I am awesome. I am proud of my body and am now as happy to go fresh and makeup free as I am to throw on a fierce face of flawless color and take the town by storm.

In the end it's not the makeup that makes the woman it's the woman who wears the face that matters most. So, today, I focus on fueling her with increased passion for my work, for adventures and time spent with people who love and respect me and by standing up for time needed to reconnect with myself on a mental and spiritual level. These are the steps that have allowed me to maintain a balance with my body and the food needed to fuel it.